28/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 30 June, the French Parliament ratified the European Charter of Self-government, adopted by the Council of Europe on 15 October 1985. This is the only official text providing common standards safeguarding the rights of local governments across Europe, says the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) in a press release. This Charter derives from the European Charter of Municipal Liberties, adopted by the CEMR in 1953, the press release points out. CEMR President Michael Häupl said, “Every EU Member State has ratified the Charter now, it is therefore essential that the future EU Constitution or Treaty explicitly refers to the Charter and incorporates its key principles of local democracy”. The President of the French association of CEMR, AFCCRE, Louis Le Pensec said that this ratification was, “for us, French elected local representatives, … the result of 20 years of effort and explanations to a succession of national governments”.